More than 70,000 customers were without electricity across the north-eastern United States on Saturday as a powerful nor'easter moved through the region, bringing dangerous conditions expected to last through the weekend. Forecasters warned of gale winds that could topple trees and heavy rainfall that could flood roads.
Tens of millions of people are in the storm's path, which has already begun lashing the area with strong winds and rain. The National Weather Service (NWS) said dangerous flooding is expected along the mid-Atlantic coast, particularly near New Jersey and Delaware.
Flooding hits coastal communities
In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, water with rippling waves flooded streets and inundated some homes. About 34 miles (55km) up the coast in Manasquan, where some roads were also flooding, Mayor Mike Mangan said he expected “a lot of water in the streets for a long time”. A voluntary evacuation had been issued earlier in some low-lying areas of the community.
Brian Kelly, mayor of the small New Jersey beach community of Sea Bright, said the borough was bracing for winds up to 50mph (80km/h) and flooding that could reach up to 6ft (1.8 meters) on some streets. Officials expect flooding to start on Saturday and worsen by midday.
“It’s going to be worse than average. We do have probably one or two flooding events a year, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I think this one will be closer to an Irene-scale flooding event,” Kelly said, referencing the 2011 storm that caused major flooding in the north-east. “I hope I’m wrong, but that’s my gut feeling.”
Kelly added that he hopes hundreds of residents in low-lying areas will consider evacuating, and said the town will open its recreation center for evacuees.
Wind gusts and travel disruption
Peak wind gusts could approach 60-65mph (97-105km/h) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday, and about 50-55mph (80-89km/h) around Boston and 35-40mph (56-64km/h) farther inland, according to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the NWS in Norton, Massachusetts.
“It’s definitely going to be a case of the closer to the coast you are, the more impacts from the storm you’re likely to see,” Belk said. He noted that nor’easters are not unusual as New England moves into fall, but one concern this early in the season is that leaves still on trees create more wind resistance, increasing the risk of downed limbs, power outages and debris in roads.
Along the Atlantic coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, wind gusts could reach 60mph (96.6km/h), according to the NWS. In south-eastern Connecticut and eastern Long Island, New York, gusts could be almost as powerful, potentially downing tree limbs and power lines.
More than 200 flights to and from airports in Boston, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and New York had been canceled on Friday, with more cancellations already in place for Saturday. Several airlines offered to waive change or cancellation fees for some east coast flights through the weekend.
Events adjusted as storm hits
The Red Sox announced their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs would be adjusted, moving the Sunday-afternoon game to Friday to create a split double-header. Separately, Ed Sheeran announced that his Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, would be canceled due to the storm.
